Who employs forensic statisticians?

There is an increasing need for people to understand the role and application of probability and statistics in forensic science and the law. However, there are essentially no jobs and no career structure in forensic statistics in the UK as such.

The Forensic Science Service (FSS) of England and Wales has an Interpretation Group which considers problems of evidence evaluation, but it is small in size. In many cases, if the FSS wants help with a problem, it employs consultants. The Home Office has a Policing and Reducing Crime Unit which offers occasional contract work for statisticians to assist in particular projects. Individual police forces and law firms may also seek assistance with particular cases.

The area of DNA profiling is also growing. Although not strictly forensic statistics, there may be opportunities for statisticians in companies specialising in the analysis of DNA profiles for paternity and kinship testing.

The main route into a career involving forensic statistics is essentially as an academic, either as a university lecturer or specifically as a researcher. You would probably need to gain a lecturing or research post in a mathematics or statistics university department, and then pursue a research or consultancy path as part of your day-to-day work there. There are some research institutes that primarily focus on forensic science and statistics, notably the Joseph Bell Centre for Forensic Statistics and Legal Reasoning.